Syria

Looking back.
I’ve been watching alot of the youtube vids on Syria lately, the uprising and the conflict.
The footage is just wild, I can’t believe it’s the same place I was based only 18 months ago.

I remember hanging out at the main bus terminal in Homs, trying to organize a driver to take us to Turkey, and now the place is pretty much a pile of rubble.

A big part of me wishes I was back there now, the excitement and chaos, the turbulent environment, that constant threatening danger of how you’ll get to the next place, getting to document a part of history, sitting on those little plastic chairs eating Shwarma and drinking fresh juice. I miss it.

In no particular order, these are a few snapshots of my last time in Syria.

I thank you for these photos. I live in northern Israel, only a few hours from Syria and yet it is a place I’ve never seen. I am shocked and devastated that the world is silent while Assad is killing so many people–men, women, children…It is an outrage and nobody is speaking out against it! Thank you for sharing the pictures. I am praying for my neighbors and hope we can live in peace one day so that I can visit there. diana

Yes, Luke Ford, I do pray for the Palestinians! I hope that Abu Mazen & Hamas can form a coalition government. That would be wonderful! I long for peace both for Israel and Palestine and hope and pray that we can have two states living side by side where Christians, Jews, Muslims and Druze live in peace. So yes, I thank you for your reply and let’s work together for a peaceful solution! By the way, have you heard from anyone inside Syria lately?

It’s good you see this aspect of supporting Palestine as well. Yes, I have spoken to a few friends in Syria recently, just the other day in fact, and they tell me it is a media machine in support of the opposition funded by surrounding countries… an attempt to remove the secular government and replace with a hard line Islamist-based government which does not give its people the same rights to practice their own religions freely.

Hi Luke, Thanks for your reply. Do you think what is happening in Syria is the same as what happened to Egypt? What do your friends say about the Arab Spring? I hope that non-Muslims will be safe in Syria – there is a problem for Christians and others now in Egypt.

These are such beautiful pictures and like you I can’t believe what’s going on there today. I have a really close friend from Syria and she is able to stay here in the US but her family is still in Homs. She’s always glued to the news and always trying to call her family there. It’s truly heartbreaking and all I can do is pray that her family is alright.

astonishing post, thank you for all these great photos that speak of a different face of Syria.
i also love the photos that are made with an analog camera, or at least that’s how they look like, chemically exposed :)
great post

Wow! Lovely pics. I was sitting in that coffee shop round the back of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus in April last year just as the troubles were starting. I went from there up to Aleppo to see Qal’at Samaan and on the way back south encountered a large demonstration in Hama (where those water wheels are). Locals told me that government snipers were positioned on rooftops. I wonder how many of those friendly people I spoke to that day have lost their lives? The Middle East gets a terrible press in the West and yet the people are more hospitable than most Westerners I have met. Sad times we live in.

Beautiful pictures! I never been to Syria though, but the culture and the historical buildings/places are so captivating! It feels like I have been there in some time, even though I have never left my country. Really sad what is happening there these days. may those who have lost their lives rest in peace!

amazing photos of a place many of us will never see. Be glad you are not there now. What these people are going through is not a game, I’m sure it’s not exciting for many of these people, many who may be dead now sadly. But the photos of the ancient ruins are so similar to the things I saw in israel: the market, the ruins, the hummus on the table, thanks for these photos.

Stunning photos, bittersweet now of course. The closest I’ve gotten to Syria is the border with Jordan. It was too dangerous for us to cross over. In a way, I think seeing photos like this has more of an emotional impact than seeing the rubble and bodies. We’ve become desensitised to it. This shows the life and joy of Syria.

Each of your photographs…well they leave me without words, and with everything that has happened in Syria it makes the beauty of what used to be that much more potent. So many people will develop the opinion that this country is nothing but broken and has never seen beauty; these photos show otherwise. Thank you for sharing!

I lived in Syria when I was a small child. I still crave hummus a few times a week and use spice rubs that remind me of the chicken we ate there…. Now I’m back in America, married to a member of the Air Force, and remembering how beautiful things used to be there. I remember especially the little boys who used to come from the neighborhood to play football with the little white girl. They were always so kind to me, and actually let me kick the ball every once and a while. I wonder where they are today and what they’re doing.
Praying for peace!

beautiful pictures. It’s hard to imagine that this is the same place we see all over the news today. Thank you for sharing those. I think it allows us to stop and realize that these same places we see destroyed do indeed hold beauty in them.

Wow beautiful pictures ! I really wish I can visit Syria someday , it seems like such a beautiful country ! Thanks for showing to the world that there is a normal + beautiful side to this place :) So much culture and history and I do hope things calm down soon. It reminds me of the situation in Kashmir – another beautiful place torn apart by violence and political drama…

Wow, this is gorgeous, and i love how you described the simple pleasures you get out of being in a reality like that; sitting on plastic chairs eating shwarma, not knowing where you’ll be next. A thrilling sensation from being still.

Love the photos, this is the first time i may have really desired to go see a place like Syria. It’s simply beautiful, and so raw. You see the past in the streets, in a historic way, and it’s touching.

You just brought back so many memories for me – Ummayad Mosque, streets of Damascus, the cafe where the storyteller tells his stories, rounds of bread hanging from fences, Aleppo Citadel, Crac de Chevaliers… Shukran jezeelan. Syria is so special and you’ve captured this so well.

I once talked to a guy who was getting an education in Syria, but had to leave due to the conflict there. He said that not only was it beautiful, but he dreams of being able to go back to Syria in the future. Very sad that the country is being ruined. I hope things get better!

I was impressed , after my friend sent me your blog,
I liked your photo, in syria we have series timeline history…
from very ancient to the modern..
Please if you are thinking to come back to Syria( during this summer at least) let me know. I will be there (I am in Europe now),

Reblogged this on Lex'sThoughts and commented:
It’s a shame that they’re destroying such a beautiful country. And when I say ‘they’ I mean, all starting from Assad, the US and to the rest of the countries.

Wonderful pictures! I have a similar feeling in regards to Egypt because I was in Cairo for the summer before their revolution broke out. All part of me could think about was the friends I had made there and wanting to be there with them, no matter the dangerous situation.

Really great blog post. The photos are really good. I think the timing of this blog post is perfect. At a time when all we see of Syria is the destruction and atrocities which are being committed I really like the fact that you have provided another view to Syria, of its beauty and its people. Great stuff!

Great post, awesome place. Tragic what is happening in Syria. I spent some time there in 2005 and loved the country and the amazingly hospitable people. I have some posts on Syria at my site and have a few more coming up. Cheers, Fergus http://ferguscunningham.com/category/travel/syria/

So much beauty and yet history has taught us that such beauty or even entire civilizations have become relics of the past for the sake the selfishness of a few individuals. Beautiful pictures…. I hope the people of Syria would find peace soon.

Your photos really capture so much of the Syria I remember from my on visit some years ago, the amazing Apamea and Krak des Chevalier, the great street food, the wonderful people, the bustle of the streets and the tranquility in unexpected places. Shokran.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen pictures of Syria–thank you for sharing these fantastic views. I am delighted at the Arab Spring, including the events in Syria–the people rising up against tyranny. Yet I am also ashamed–for I don’t have to suffer as they do. It’s easy for me to cheer-on the Syrian People from the comfort and safety of my living room in the United States.

These pictures make me ache for a place I’ve never been. Thank you for sharing. I was in Beirut a few weeks ago, only a couple of hours from Syria, and I could feel the heaviness of the situation. I attended Friday prayers at the mosque in downtown Beirut and the imam made the most moving, heartfelt, haunting prayer for the Syrian people. It left everyone in tears and it helped me allow some of the pain into my heart. Thank you again for taking us to Syria through your photos.

Although born in Australia, my heritage is Syrian, and every couple of years I go back with my family to visit all my other family and friends. Since the war began in Syria, I’ve been in hopes that it quickly goes away so I can go back and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere there… the markets, the restaurants, the houses… everything about it, it’s such a beautiful wondrous place to be, and I’m in pain that I can’t go visit – it’s been since 2010 that I’ve gone back, and I’m due for a trip this year, but the outlook says it’s impossible….

Thank you for the pictures. A vivid reminder of all the places I’ve been and seen…

Thank you so much for this post. Brought back lots of great memories from my own travels in Syria in 2010. I have many similar photos — of Hama, Aleppo, Bosra, Souq Saroujah in Damascus, the tamarind-juice sellers… Wonderful country and warm, generous people. In case you’re interested, I wrote a travel article about my experiences in Damascus for ‘The Australian’ newspaper: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel/syrian-state-of-mind/story-e6frg8rf-1225960048170

Hi, You have some great images of Syria and Syrians! We must share a love for Syria and its people. I lived in Damascus for a couple of years, so have been very concerned this last year for Syria. You might be interested in this blog http://australiansforsyria.wordpress.com/ It has lots of images from Syria including many images of people today – taken from the TV screen (ie from satellite TV). There are also reference lists there. It is so difficult to know what is really going on in Syria from the local media (I’m in Australia), but there is quite a lot of information out there. Regards, Susan

God bless the people of Syria, insh’allah they will be able to build a great future on the foundation of spectacular heritage, without the interference of imperial powers who only want to exploit them.

Thanks for sharing these beautiful and versatile pictures: They were taken in many cities and not just in Homs (a few tags would go a long way). I was taken aback that there is a metro, like the one I used to take in Washington DC. All these “bleeding hearts” comments have no idea that Syria represents the mind and heart of what is known as “Arabic civilization” and not Islamic culture. “Arabs” were very lucky that the first Capital of its empire was Damascus where the various Christian and Christian_Jewish sects were the vast majority and that translation from Greek and Byzantium works into Arabic was done by the scholars in Syria, and actually Damascus saved Greek culture was vanishing like so many ancient cultures…

Your images of a functioning, cultural and “normal” Syria seem to have a greater impact on me than images of the devastated country. Maybe, in part, because society has become somewhat immune to such images as a result of recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also because you’ve shown Syria to be such a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing!

The initial picture of the little boy looking up at the lens breaks my heart…so much pain, uncertainty and fear all in one expression. I wanted so much to hold him and take those things away…I pray for the peace of Syria and mercy to its people.

These are the type of pictures I always wanted to take while living in Egypt but never got to. Every single one of these pictures are amazing, from the random street shots to that ancient building standing in the middle of nowhere to the man laying pita bread on the railing. Simply superb.

Thank you for this wonderful post!!! My family is Syrian and I spent my childhood summers growing up in that beautiful country. Hearing of all of the violence happening there now is devastating to me to the point that I can never listen to the news anymore in fear of hearing something else about Syria. Recently, I have been extremely “homesick” for Syria (the last time I was there was Christmastime 2010). Your photographs almost made me cry from longing to be back. Having been to almost every location that you photographed, I can attest to the beauty and unusual charm that is Syria!

Hi Matthew. Great pics. I live in Azerbaijan, which is not terribly far from Syria. Azerbaijan is also a Muslim country (although it is more secular than religious). However so, outside of Baku, which is the capital of AZ, women are often sequestered to their homes. You hardly see them sitting in restaurants eating a meal or simply enjoying a cup of tea. I was happy to see women, who are obviously religious, out and about. I noticed this when I was traveling through Turkey last year as well. Women seem to have much more freedom to wander about outside the home. I hope to see that one day for women in AZ.

I also really love the pictures of the city. Thanks for sharing these.

So true buddy!
It’s a bit over 3 years since we were last in Syria, albeit we only stopped off on day trips on both occasions from a mini-cruise out of Limassol, Cyprus and via Beirut.

The first time we stayed around Latakia port and the Duty Free areas as we missed out on getting on the excursion so next time, we booked in advance and remember that long coach trip from the port to St George’s monastery and Crac des Chevaliers. Talk about rich and poor living side by side – reminded me very much of our time travelling from New Delhi to Jaipur.

It was a fantastic experience and still hard to believe that we were only a short distance outside of Homs. It’s like seeing a completely different world.

I’ve also been following it too, and seem some absolutely disturbing images. While those images are important for the world to see, what your pics have done is allowed me to juxtapose them, and comprehend life before the blood, rubble and misery. It’s so hard to imagine that those people captured in your photos, going about their daily business, have had their world, or their country, turned so upside down.